Randolph Township Police Department
Law Enforcement

Crime Prevention Tips

Law Enforcement Phone Solicitations

The Randolph Township Police Department does NOT solicit funds by telephone nor has it authorized any outside organization to conduct fundraising on its behalf. This includes any organization claiming to be affiliated with national, state or local PBAs. As a matter of fact, no legitimate PBAs in the state of New Jersey solicit money from private citizens by telephone for police causes. The only solicitations done by the PBA are through the mail, usually once annually.

These calls are being made by telemarketing firms. The person on the other end of the phone is not a police officer. They will use high-pressure tactics to get you to write a check and will attempt to convince you that its fundraising activities are supported by the Randolph Township Police Department. The only organization making money from this type of solicitation is the telemarketing firm.

We urge you to use extreme caution should you decide to contribute. Always ask for the caller’s name, address and telephone number so that you may call back after careful consideration. Most of them will not give you this information. If in doubt, please call the police department.

Identity Theft

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information such as your name, Social Security number, driver’s license number or other identifying information without your permission or knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes. It’s one of the fastest growing crimes in the world and in the United States alone, approximately 9 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2004. By some estimates, an identity is stolen every 79 seconds.

How to minimize your risk:

  • Run a credit report on yourself to see if there are any unknown credit inquiries or unauthorized accounts.
  • Reconcile your check and credit card statements in a timely fashion and challenge any purchases that you did not make.
  • Don’t carry your Social Security card with you.
  • Never give out your Social Security number to anyone unless they have a good reason for needing it and minimize exposure of your driver’s license number, date of birth and credit card numbers.
  • Don’t give out personal information over the phone if you didn’t initiate the call.
  • Protect your mother’s maiden name, especially when using family tree tracers and genealogy service web sites.
  • Shred your bank statements, tax documents and any other papers which contain sensitive or identifying information when you dispose of them.
  • Keep a list or photocopy all credit and identification cards you carry with you, including front and back, so that you can quickly call the issuers to inform them about missing or stolen cards.
  • Limit the number of credit cards you have to reduce your exposure.
  • Destroy all unused pre-approved credit card and loan applications. The mailbox thief only has to fill them out and redirect the return address to start using your credit.
  • Reduce the number of pre-approved credit card offers you receive by making a toll-free call to 888.5OPT.OUT. This will remove you from the three major credit bureaus’ mailing lists for two years.
  • Memorize your passwords and personal identification (PIN) numbers. Keep your PIN numbers somewhere that only you know.
If you believe that your identity has been stolen, the Federal Trade Commission advises you to take the following actions immediately.

Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file. The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will be automatically notified to place fraud alerts. Once the alert is placed, you may order a free copy of your credit report from all three major credit bureaus.

Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Use the ID Theft Affidavit when disputing new unauthorized accounts.

File a police report with the Randolph Township Police Department. We will provide you with a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime.

File your complaint with the FTC. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint also helps us learn more about identity theft and the problems victims are having so that we can better assist you.

Additional Resources

Gun Safety

There were thirty-two firearm deaths of children and teens in New Jersey in 2002. Nationwide, 3,012 children and teens were killed by gunfire. That is one child every three hours; eight children every day and more than fifty children every week. And every year, at least four to five times as many kids and teens suffer from non-fatal firearm injuries.*

Although the number of fatal firearm accidents among children has decreased 89% since 1975, one fatal accident is one too many.

Even if your family doesn’t have a gun in the home, chances are that your child will come in contact with a gun at some time during his or her childhood. Relatives and neighbors own guns that are probably hidden, but children may find them. Children are exposed to guns early on from television, cartoons and movies arousing their natural curiosity.

The best safety measure for gun safety in the home is to avoid having one in your home. However, if you already own a gun or plan to purchase one in the future, following the guidelines below can help protect your family’s health and safety.

If you own a gun:

  • always keep your gun unloaded and locked up
  • lock and store bullets in a separate location
  • make sure children do not have access to the gun lock keys

If you do not own a gun:

  • talk with your children about the risk of gun injury outside the home in places where they may visit and play
  • tell your children to stay away from guns when they are in the homes of their friends
  • speak with the parents of your children’s friends to determine whether or not they have a gun in the home
  • if they do, urge them to empty it out and lock it up

The Randolph Township Police Department, in partnership with Project ChildSafe, distributes free firearm safety kits to registered owners of firearms. Each kit contains a safety curriculum and a cable-style gun lock. The lock fits on most types of handguns, rifles and shotguns. To obtain a safety kit, contact Sgt. John Naslonski of the Community Services Unit at 973.989.7024.

*Source: National Center for Health Statistics

Home Improvement Scams

A “contractor” shows up on your doorstep offering to do driveway repairs or sealing, roofing, chimney, or masonry repairs.

Often, the repairs are shoddy, substandard, or not completed at all. The original quoted price may magically double or triple when it becomes time to pay up. Intimidation or threats may be used to collect money. If a down payment is requested and you oblige, you may never see the “contractor” again.

A variation of the scam involves the phony contractor claiming to have just finished a job down the street and guess what? It’s your lucky day because he just happens to have materials left over and can seal your driveway/fix your roof/line your chimney/etc. at a bargain basement price.

On occasion, the home repair scam turns into a diversionary burglary. For this reason, we urge residents to exercise caution when dealing with these types of situations.

Township residents are advised that Randolph has an ordinance regulating door-to-door solicitors and peddlers, both profit-making and nonprofit ones.

  • All solicitors and peddlers must apply for and obtain a permit from the township. The permitting process requires that the applicant submit to and pass a State Police background check.
  • Legitimate solicitors who have adhered to the requirements will possess an identification card issued by the Township Clerk.
  • Those who sell items or services for profit may engage in door-to-door soliciting Monday through Saturday, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
  • Nonprofit organizations whose members solicit for charitable purposes may conduct this activity Monday through Sunday, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

If you have any suspicions about a solicitor—either in your neighborhood or if you have been approached at home by someone offering to sell you a product or service—do not hesitate to call the police department.

Utility Employee Impersonator Scams

These criminals impersonate utility company employees to gain entry to your home. They usually work in teams of two (or three) and gain entry to your home under the pretext of needing to check for a water or gas leak or to check your electric panel. Once inside, one of the impersonators will distract the homeowner while the other goes foraging for cash and valuables.

In a variation of this con, the impersonators will tell you that the utility company has inadvertently overcharged you and the reason for their visit is so that they may personally deliver your refund. Once inside your home, they will offer up this refund in the form of a $100 bill and then observe where you go to get change. Once they know where you keep your money, the diversionary tactics begin but the outcome is the same…while one distracts you, the other one helps himself to your valuables.

The best way to make sure that the person or persons who are at your door are who they say they are is to ask to see their photo ID. Companies like PSE&G, New Jersey Natural Gas, Cablevision and Verizon issue ID cards to all their employees and a legitimate employee will not object to your request. And are they wearing company uniforms and driving a company truck? If you are still unsure, check with the utility company by telephone.

In many cases, if not most, it is highly unusual for any of the utility companies to send an employee to your house unless you have called them with a concern.

Diversionary Burglaries

Instead of pretending to be utility company employees to con you into letting them into your home, the perpetrators of this scam employ a different tactic. But once inside, it’s the same modus operandi…one diverts, one steals.

Variation One: The weather warms up and you venture outdoors to do yardwork. You bristle at the idea of locking your doors. Why bother when you’re mere feet from your house? Enter the scam artist tag team. One engages you in conversation while the other is already in your home pocketing your coin collection.

Variation Two: A distressed female arrives at your door, lost and seeking directions. Or her car has broken down and she needs to use your telephone. Or she’s thirsty and asks for a drink. Or she’s really "gotta go" and wants to do it in your bathroom. The possibilities are endless but the outcome is the same. As she’s diverting your attention, her accomplice is slipping in your backdoor.

If people you do not know appear out of nowhere with a request that would entail you letting them into your home, don’t do it. You can be safe without appearing rude or heartless. For example, if they ask to use your phone, offer to make the call for them. If they need directions, provide them from the other side of your locked door. If they need to use the bathroom, well…point them to the nearest gas station.

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Randolph Township Police Department • 502 Millbrook Avenue, Randolph, NJ 07869 • (973) 989.7010